Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country and is spread out over seventeen thousand islands, renowned for its stunning scenery and home to people from hundreds of distinct ethnic and linguistic groups.

Located on one of the world’s most active fault lines, it regularly falls victim to earthquakes and similar natural events which plunge the country into chaos.

In December 2004, a hugely powerful earthquake off the coast of Sumatra created a tsunami which killed more than 220,000 people and injured thousands more. Entire villages were swept away.
The most recent earthquake was in September 2018 Lombok region and killed more than 4,000 people. 174,000 people were displaced with almost 69,000 homes destroyed.

• 25.9 million people live below the poverty line
• Over the last three years, there have been an average of 289 significant natural disasters per year
• In 2018, 853,000 Indonesians were displaced as a result of natural disasters

How we are helping in Indonesia

Since the earthquake and tsunami of 2004 we have been assisting Indonesians in responding to both their immediate and ongoing needs. Our programmes cover a wide area including Aceh, Jogjakarta, Jakarta, and West Sumatra delivering emergency relief programmes as well as reconstruction and development. Our priorities are:

• Infrastructure and development – including shelters, permanent houses, roads and bridges
• Reconstruction of schools and skills development facilities
• Disaster risk reduction and protection against the ongoing threat of natural disaster

Following the earthquake of 2018, our team arrived in the area of Lombok within 48 hours to deliver emergency relief, working within treacherous conditions and with the threat of deadly aftershocks.
In 2018, our efforts in Lombok and Palu included:

• Transition shelters for over 300 families
• Distribution of food and clothing to more than 7,500 people
• Water and sanitation facilities for over 55,000 people to improve health and decrease early mortality rates.

We continue to work in collaboration with local partner organisation Yayasan Kemanusiaan Muslim Indonesia (YKMI) to support communities in Indonesia.